We took our first cruise ever with HAL in the Western Med back in 2011 and just loved it. So, eager to experience another cruise holiday, we chose an itinerary from Sydney to Auckland that would not require too much travelling time to begin our vacation.
As locals we know that Jan - March is when the weather in NZ is at its most reliable for warmer temperatures and least wind. We certainly were not disappointed as the seas were calm and the sun shone at every port of call for us, except Fiordland, where it obviously rains a lot & often.
The itinerary, which included quite a bit of scenic cruising, was everything we hoped for and so much more, with little surprises at every turn. Each city/town had it's own unique way of making visitors feel welcome, for instance in Dunedin we were farewelled by a group of bag pipers and in Napier (where we caught the last day of the Art Deco Festival) a rag-time band played on the pier as we prepared to depart. Even for us locals, there were many 'first ever' experiences, such as Milford Sound, Akaroa Harbour and White Island, just to name a few. NZ came across as a clean, beautiful & fun place to visit.